HOW TO COME OUT OF DYSFUNCTIONALITY

Welcome to an encounter with the spirit, word, and prayer through the prolific apostolic and teaching ministry of Apostle Femi Lazarus, lead pastor of Sphere of Light Church Global. It is his vision to raise God's end-time armies.

God has not called you to prove you are the best. He has not. As a leader, you are a broker of gift and talent.

So brace up for an experience.

Okay, so it occurred to me that to be able to teach effectively, to teach, um, from dysfunctionality to functionality effectively and get to the root, I will have to take a short break and teach what it means to be joint heirs with Christ. Uh, I, I teach that, then we can demolish some strongholds there, then we come back. So, but today I'm still going to teach on From Dysfunctionality to Functionality, okay? So I'm still continuing my series today. On Tuesday I will still continue, um, but after then I will have to teach what it means to be joint heirs with Christ. Um, let me give a bit introduction of what I want to deal with, um, in teaching joint heirs with Christ. Um, are you with me? Are you sure? Isaiah chapter number 14, um, from verse 12. It's quite a strange a text to start with, but I need to show you the reason why we must understand what it means to be joint heirs and the role it will play in our emergence as children of God. Isaiah chapter number 14, I start reading from verse 12, says, 'How art thou fallen, O Lucifer, son of the morning!' Ard thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations. For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, and I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit also in the mount of the congregation on the sides of the north. I will ascend above the height of the clouds. I will be like the Most High. Now that's the battle cry that arose in heaven. That's the battle cry. I was teaching in Ghana, was it yesterday or day before yesterday? And I showed them a text, Revelation chapter number 12 from verse 7 to 10. Revelation chapter number 12 from verse 7 to 10. And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found anymore in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil and Satan, which deceives the whole world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. So, um, this, uh, scriptural text that showed us what happened before what we read in Genesis 1 of that says, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. So these are texts that reveals the beginning before the beginning. There was war in heaven, um, the devil fought. What was he agitating for? He wanted to be like the Most High. The devil was tired of the idea of Trinity. Please pay attention. He felt that Trinity was not representing enough. He felt that we should have a system where there should be a rep of the angels, and he wanted to be that rep. How can we have the Father How can we have the Word? How can we have the Spirit? Who speaks for the angels? And this was the campaign he had that he was able to convince one-third of the angels that I'm just demanding for a government that represent us also. Pay attention, it looked like, um, a democratic agitation. The government of the people by the people and for the people. But what he did not realize is that for the Trinity to be expanded, the Word will have to become the replica of the new entity that is being drafted in. So when you read John 3:16, that the Bible said, in the beginning— I'm sorry, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son In order for man to be grafted as part of that council, the Word has to become man, representing man, that men can sit in him and then being part of the Godhead. Is that simple enough? The idea is family. If the Word— if the devil wanted Jesus to come in, he wanted to be part of that council, It means that Jesus will have to become an angel for them to be drafted in. But the devil is saying, don't, I want to expand this without the protocol. So, and when he raised that move of rebellion, he was sent down to the earth. He corrupted his ways. Um, those who are in school of ministry will understand a few parts. I have to jump because the Bible said when he came, he destabilized nations. And the instruction God gave Adam is to go and replenish the earth. The word re-suggests that you have to redo what was once available. Let's leave that, okay? But the devil didn't stop there. He corrupted man. He wanted to destroy the idea of man. The devil did two things. Number one, he got man to rebel against God. Number two, that— now that was a master class move. If man was not banished from the Garden of Eden, God will either have to start the work afresh, and by now you might be among demons trying to possess people. Because demons are disembodied spirit. But this is what the devil did, and that's where I'm going. Among the angels that did not keep their estate, the devil made sure that angels began to have sex. I don't have time to go deep into that. When I get to teach about joint heirs, I'm going to go into that. Were the daughters of men, and they gave birth to a new generation of individuals called Nephilim. The idea of that was that what he wanted while he was in heaven, that could not happen. The only way for God to now come back and save man was that Jesus would have to now— because now we have a mixed breed of angels and men— he will not have to become men It will have to become that part, so that becomes an entry for him. I've left you now. What I'm saying, is it too deep? There's a reason I try to avoid these things so I can— is it simple enough what I've just shared now? Are you sure? So he wanted to wipe out the pure breed of men. He wanted to have mixed breed of angels and men. The reason why those angels slept with the daughters of men is to corrupt the seed called man so that Jesus will now have to become their kind. If there's going to be any way for man to be saved, and it will not be man being saved now, it will be angels. But instead, in the mercy of God, he wiped out that generation so that man as he intended will be preserved and he can come for man. That man now You see, the new species of man, the new species of man began roughly 2,000 years ago because that species could not be born until Jesus died and grafted us into himself. So any man who is not in Christ is an old species. Oh yes, he doesn't know what the divine nature is. So now we are joint heirs with Christ. From the moment he died, he start calling us a name, brothers. The Word became flesh, dwelt amongst us. The only reason why we could call him the Son of God It's not because God gave birth to him, or because he, through the Holy Spirit, came into a woman and was born. But before that time, he is the Word. From the moment he died, he never went back to being the Word. He remained man. Is that simple enough? Let me show you a scripture. First— hold on a minute— 1 Timothy chapter number 2. 1 Timothy chapter number 2. If you are there, say amen. I'm not hearing the amen. Now let me, let me show you something, because some things are deeper than we think, and we have to get to the root of them. 1 Timothy chapter number 2, um, let's read verse 5. Um, church, once you are there, say a big amen loud and clear. Verse 5 now. All right, 1, 2, 3, go! For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Somebody say the man. Hello, say it again, the man. Now the reason why it is important for you to understand this is that from the moment you gave your life to Christ and from the moment you are in Christ, you have been grafted into the family of the Godhead. What the devil initially wanted from the beginning is what you now have. You don't know what that means yet. It means that part of the Godhead calls you, um, brother. The Father in the Godhead calls you son. What this means now is that from the moment we're in Christ Jesus is no more a son than you are a son. The idea was not just to be born again and be snatched to heaven. The idea is to become joint heirs, one with Christ. That's the idea. So if you understand what this man is You will have to be myopic to reduce this man to his background. It, it will take gross level of blindness to look at this man and sum him up based on his what?

Background.

Please sit down for a moment. 2 Corinthians 5. Let me show you a scripture. 2 Corinthians 5. Let's start from verse 15. 2 Corinthians 5, from verse 15. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.

Yes.

Wherefore henceforth know we no man. Come on, loud and clear. Know we no man. Know we no man. Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. You are not what you wear. You are not where you live. You are not where you grew up. You are a new man in Christ. I didn't hear yes to that. A new species, totally redeemed, justified, free. To live the life of Christ. That is who we are. The worst form of condemnation there can be to a person is self-condemnation. That is what happens when you come to the point that you conclude by yourself that because of the kind of experience I've had and the kind of place I'm coming from, I can no longer be this, I can no longer— it's like you are standing in the court of law and you have an adversary who is speaking against you and saying this against you, and you are going to say, yes, it's true. The devil is saying you can't become this because you have experienced this. Um, the Advocate, you know, just, just picture having a court case and, um, you are defending someone, you're a lawyer, and telling the person— I'm speaking to a person that is my client, this, this, this, I'm looking at these evidences, he did not do this. And you have someone will say, no, no, we have our own evidence here. And the fellow you are defending now say, no, I did it. I'm guilty. I deserve to go to prison. I deserve to be killed. That is what self-condemnation is. Little children, I write unto you that you sin not, but if you sin, we have an Advocate of the Father. The Bible also speaks about the devil, the accuser of brethren, who has been sent down to the earth. So we have an accuser, we have an Advocate. What are you? Whatever the Advocate says about you is what you must say. Whatever he says about you is what you must— if he says that, um, you are discharged and acquitted, what do you say? I have been discharged and acquitted. The good thing is that the Father is the judge of all, so we have our own in the chamber. We are not alone. Say, I'm not alone. Say it again loud and clear. I am not alone. Say it again with boldness. I am not alone. I believe what the Lord says about me. I am who he says I am. I am what he says I am. I am not condemned. I am justified. I'm a new man in Christ. Amen. So you don't believe the lies of the devil. Today I'm going to teach on how to come out of dysfunctionality. How to come out. How do you come out? How do we come out? Sorry. Of, um, dysfunctionality. Now I, I, I need you to pay attention. Give me 2 Corinthians 5:17, just a chapter after— a verse after what we have read. 2 Corinthians 5 from verse 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are— now, one of the things I've had to learn in a hard way is that people don't believe in the redemptive work of Christ. Quote me anywhere. What did I say? People don't believe in what? The redemptive work of Christ. I'm telling you, it will amaze you that the one who is even teaching about it will even come back to judge you based on your foundation. If a man is his background, what then did Christ save us from? You know, I heard all sorts of funny stuff. Can a person come from the worst background and their life emerge to be beautiful? Yeah, Christian says that. No, no, no, you must check the background. Even the elder says traditionally you have to go on. We are not saying don't check, but we are saying no man in Christ should be reduced to that nonsense. No man. And if they conclude that about you, never conclude about yourself. Never accept. Never believe it, that you must repeat the mistakes of your parents. Never accept. Listen to what I'm saying. You must fight the battle with your mouth, in your heart, and on your knees. You must rebuke the struggle. Don't read anything, don't hear any statement where anyone reduce you to your background. Don't listen to them. It's a lie from the pit of hell. And for as many who are fighting to fight through, you will win. Listen to what I'm saying. You will so win that when you even want to talk about your past, people will struggle to believe because there will be no correlation between the man that you are now and the one that was. You will emerge. Somebody somewhere is planning to get married and is confused and pained and worried. Which home do I take my spouse to? Who will sit as my father? Who will sit as my mother? Who is going to inquire on my behalf? What will they meet? And because of that, you have been afraid of getting into a relationship. Where do I take them to? Which family? You see, if you will reduce people to their background, where do we put orphans? You see, my core calling is to bring people out of robles and bring them to where they should be. It doesn't matter what it is. I've seen people, children that were taken from mad women. Does that mean they are mad? Does that mean they are going to be mad? Let's see. We that have— you have been forgiven, be careful of the way you judge people, particularly using your— how many of you here did anything to come from the family you came from? It is not a bragging right, so shut up. What did I say? Family background is not a bragging right. You met yourself there, period. It's not a bragging right. It is not an achievement. An achievement is something you work for and end. Give people the right to fight and let them win. It's none of your—

if you come—

if you can't marry somebody because of the person's background, excuse the person. The one who is a definition of true husband, who will love the wife and wash her clean with the washing of the water like Christ loved the church, will come. It will come. So you must understand the idea of family according to Kingdom definition is work. We are not scavengers. It's work. It doesn't matter how you think you will work. You will have to work with the person to come out of things. You'll have to work with the person to emerge from certain things. You had the woman giving her testimony and say, I just want to thank God for my husband. According to Bible definition, what has been displayed there is the real definition what it means to be a husband. Listen, oh, in case you don't understand, Christ did not go to look for the best of sinners or the best of people who look like it and say, you, my blood can wash you. But you, he went to look for the worst. Come on now, the worst prostitute, hooker, call it any name. At the marriage supper of the Lamb, all of us are going to be together. Bride, bride. No, nobody special. Bride, that's the general name, the Bride of Christ. If he doesn't reject his church, you have no right to reject anyone because of their background. You have no right. You have no right. Are you following what I'm saying? You ask God for forgiveness. Remember, the, the prayer is, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive. Ah man, come on. Please be seated. You know, I'm so excited I'm teaching this, and it is showing me really that it is a niche that we need more voices in. On one breath you confess how that once a man is saved he has eternal salvation, on the other breath you condemn someone based on the family background. Where are you?

No.

Everyone under the sound of my voice, say it loud and clear: I am not my background. I am not my background. I will not reap the mistakes of my parents. And God had taken time to demonstrate this in scripture again and again. If God was thinking like this, Solomon should never become king after David. He was from messed up background. The fellow that could have been his father was killed. His mother was drafted into the king. Then God still brought a king from that mess. Have you heard stories of people, maybe women that experienced rape and got pregnant and gave birth to the child? Does that mean the child is a rapist? Talk to me. Does that mean the child is a rapist? First, you need to know who you are in Christ. I am not— now I'm talking to you now. I am not my background. I've been redeemed. I've been bought with a price. With a price. I'm saved. I've been washed clean with the precious blood of Jesus. My foundation now is Christ. This is where I am. I belong more to Christ than I belong to my family. I'm a new man in Christ. My reference point is Christ. Now this needs to sink in, and that's why I need to teach this as a whole series, to know who we are in Christ. Say it again: I'm a new man in Christ. Now let me say, you don't go about life carrying the guilt of your parents. You don't do that. You don't do that. It's too much for you to carry. You don't go about life carrying all those troubles. I understand. I mean, I'm glad my— this series is opening our eyes to see how wicked the society is, particularly Christians. You know, somebody asked me. Somebody commented on my video and say, even in say way they talk, ask him, eh, no my from good home. If when God showed me my wife, she said I'm from this so and so home, I have done this in the past, I've made this mistake. God showed me that's my wife. From the moment I saw her and I knew this my wife, before even asking any question, I settled in my mind, no matter what the past is, I take it. Settle in my mind. We are not scavengers. We are men, husbands. We start with raw material and begin to work like Christ is working on us. This is who we are. This is who we are. Say I hear. This responsibility should not die. One of my biggest trouble right now is that so many thought leaders or whatever it is, we keep widening the gates of exit. We— and I'm not sure if we know what we are doing— we keep widening the gate. Let me say a statement and leave it open-ended. We seem to have come to a conclusion that marriages don't demand sacrifice and children don't demand sacrifices. Let's think about that. Amen. Say it again loud and clear: I'm a new man in Christ. Before I continue teaching, if there's anyone under the sound of my voice, whether listening online, here, who has— who seem to have concluded, and you have been running with that fear, um, hey, I'm going to get married someday, which home do I take my spouse to, uh, how will my spouse be able to relate with my mother, how will my spouse be able to relate with my father, is there even any further to show what's there to write about them. How am I going to do this? Put your mind at rest. God is not the author of confusion. You did not create that background. One of the definition of the true spouse you are going to marry will be somebody who is mature enough to know that you are not your background. If the person's maturity can't take it, move. Simple. You don't have to lie because you want to win somebody. You don't have to lie. You don't have to lie. And don't live in regret. Romans 8:1 says that if any— I'm sorry, there is now therefore no more what? Condemnation. To them who are in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation. You are not permitted to condemn yourself. The devil has no right to condemn you. Say amen to that. So how do you come out of dysfunctionality? Number 1: never relegate yourself to your background. Never accept societal conclusions about you. Never relegate yourself to your background. Never accept what the society is saying about you. Never relegate yourself. Never relegate yourself. Never relegate yourself to your background. Most times we are product of our conclusions. The reason why what people say hurt us is because it affirms what we believe about ourselves. If somebody looks at me and say, you're a madman. I have no response because I'm not. I remember I was— I can't remember where I was, what country I was entering into, and the woman at the immigration stand just looked at me and she started giving me attitude. I just said to myself, she's tripping. They trip, they trip. I mean, I understand well. There's no part of me that will make me check what's wrong with me. There's nothing wrong with me and I'm aware. The only thing that is happening is that you dey what? Trip. Bagbe? You need to be assured, you need to be aware of who you are. Now sit like the son and the daughter of a king that you are. Relax. The devil has nothing on you. Relax, relax. Never— see, in life you need a spice of stubbornness in your belief system. People are not going to favor you with their conclusions. Somebody can hear this series and say Apostle Lazarus is a relationship teacher. Na you sabi. Those who know, know. And in case they don't know, I know that I am more. What do you know about yourself that nobody can steal from you? Mention 3 things that you are. That nobody can take from you. 1, 2, 3, go! I'm a winner in Christ. I'm a winner. I, I am there. You are aware. Who are you? When the angel met Jacob, the question, what is your name? That's a question. Identity. Yes, sir. I've been saved, justified, delivered, set free. I'm a new man, I'm a new species, one of a kind. You know, listen to what I'm saying. I tell myself this again and again: standing in front of you is a man that generations will not stop talking about. Listen, I am not going to leave the scene until I hotan through Christ. Oh yes, you will see it happen. I'm aware. So you don't have to hail me for me to now say, oh, amazing, I'm a blessing. No, I know, I know. I, I entered the airport one day and this broke me. What was coming out from the car to enter to take my flight, a man was driving And the man even caused traffic. He stayed there in the middle of the road, raised his head from the window of his car, and he was shouting and was crying, Pastor Femi, you have changed my life! Pastor Femi, you have changed my life! A full-grown man was crying. I'm a blessing. I know. Yes, sir. I am a generational asset. I know. There's nothing you can do to convince me or to change my mind about it. I'm aware. My question is, who are you? One of the signs that you don't know who you are is that you thrive based on validations. This world is too wicked to live based on people's validation. Oh yes, too wicked the world. You want to wait for people to tell you what they think about you, they will finish you. Because nobody will ever hate you better than themselves. Oh yes, they will cut you to sizes and call you names and call you things that makes them feel convenient around you. You must know who you are and hold it still. I'm asking you again, who are you? Are you your past? Talk to me now. Are you your past? Are you your past? Are you your background? Are you your father? Are you your mother? Are you your ancestor? Who are you? I know who I am. I know what I am. I know what God has raised me for, and no devil can convince me against that. No devil. You must never allow people place you based on their belief. There are neighborhoods you travel to, they call you based on your past. There are secondary school friends that still call you by the nickname that they give you in secondary school. I remember I was in Kano, um, and I, I went somewhere a while back. And I was hearing somebody scream from across the road, mathematics, mathematics, mathematics. I've forgotten, I've forgotten. Then I checked, ah, Femi Lazarus, how far? I'm not mathematics anymore. They might have known you while you were at that level. It is important they know that you have shifted.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Yes, sir. We have moved. Moved. Come on. Amen. Amen. Um, let me tell you this. Your character before God lifted you, or before God lifts you, and your character after God has lifted you The only way they can be the same is if you have always known who you are. The only way. Money doesn't validate me. I am not what my account says. My account may look like jam score. I'm not my account. I'm telling you. No, yes, 275.000. I am not my account, huh? You might have come to church today not having transport, but you are not your pocket. You are more. It only does not yet appear what you shall become. Eh, are you with me? I remember one of my first times of taking a plane, I went to sit down YouTube. If you know, you know. Some of us were not born into this thing. We grew. I check first time experience, I saw different things. But I won't forget that there was one air hostess that was very, very rude to me. Very rude. I was panicking. I didn't know how to wear the seat belt. Onawe don dey do it since now, no know waiting God do for now. But well, the news is that we don't catch up. Nobody know who start out, we don't catch up. We don't come and we don't come. We say nothing. This guy was very, very saucy and I didn't even know I remember that face till on flight again he saw me one time. My God, Apostle Jesus, you take her plane! I'm so excited. I prayed for her, spoke words over her life. It's me but another version. Yes, sir. The moment you sow a seed into the ground and bury the seed Everything needed to become that thing that will carry the fruit is inside. You are not waiting for what is coming on you. It is in you. It is in you. So I'm sorry, I, I, I went somewhere to minister, and as I was passing, um, the, the military men had to bundle me and, you know, and I saw people were packing the sand of my feet and saying, that's the anointing. No, that's not the anointing. You are anointed. I didn't get to where I am by packing anybody's sand. You are anointed. You are. Listen, when we lay hands on you, nothing can come that was not already there. Yes, nothing. We just agree for a crystallization. Let it break open. It's there. Now let me show you something. When you receive the Holy Ghost, was it— so you think that when you now want to receive the gift of the Spirit, gift of healing, that one it will come, lift your hands to heaven, it's going to come? No, it is in the Holy Ghost in you. We are just opening this seal and opening that knob and opening this knob for all those things to happen. It's there. You are not normal. Your species is still recent. You only began 2,000 years ago. Oh yes, you are not normal. You're not. Don't relegate yourself. And be careful of toxic admiration. Be careful. That's when you find it easy celebrating people but you find it difficult celebrating yourself. Never affirm anything about a person more than you do about yourself. Celebrate yourself. Do. Now sit down. Some of you will need to sit down and say I don't try. And hold on, let me tell you what you're going to do. I don't try. Just, just invite a private chef to give you an experience that you deserve. I don't, I don't try. Some of you, on your next birthday, you need to Prepare a gift that you are giving. I bought this. I present this to Femi Lazarus for all that you are doing, for not giving up, for staying in your place. You have tried. Come on, do it. You have, you have. Sit down. I try. I'm not lazy. Let me tell you this, don't be too harsh on yourself. If you were watching you in a cinema, you will be all clapping for you. And the fact that you are you doesn't mean you should get familiar with you. Celebrate yourself and honor yourself. The kind of things you have survived are only told in stories. And that's why we are called living epistles. We are a story that is existing in progress. There is a grandstand in heaven watching us with amazement and saying, who are these guys? They have tried. We did try. Are you with me? Sit down gallantly like a king that you are. Don't let anybody call you what you are not. Never relegate yourself to your background. Never accept societal conclusions about you. Never allow anyone— anybody judge you based on the decisions of your parents. Stand your ground. Number 2, how to come out of dysfunctionality: check the conclusions you have made because of your experience. Check the conclusions. When you see things and conclusions are made, um, just like, um, uh, blood, blood cells, um, you have in layman language what is called the white blood cell. I mean, it is a system of defense. It is designed to identify and be released and be galvanized to deal with foreign invaders. They are called antibodies. So when your white blood cells, um, senses a pathogen, it deals with it, come and then fight it. Now you must know how to identify the conclusions you have made that looks like you but is not you. It is a form you took, maybe instinctively, after an injury. Maybe that conclusion had helped you survive a season. You must understand, some conclusions are like scaffoldings when you are building a house. The scaffolding is important to work from outside, but for the house to really be what is designed to be, you will have to pull down the scaffoldings. Is that okay? And then, and work. So some, some things have used their time. And if you don't know how to pull them down, they become strongholds. They hold you down. I will never love again. Now you can love. I will never trust a man again with my money. Now you can trust a man. Wahala, for who trust women? No, now you know you are not in wahala. You might have watched Maybe your dad remarried, or your mom remarried, and see what the person did to them. And you made your mind, you made up your mind, never will I do this again, never will I trust anybody to know how much I earn. You see, conclusions made out of fear has a way of creating what you are afraid of. Look inwardly and identify what is not Christ and pull them down. Now I want us to read 2 Corinthians 10 from verse 3 in Message translation. Now look at it: The world is unprincipled. It is dog eat dog out there. The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles That way, never, never have. Sorry, that way, never have and never will. Yes, verse 4. Now, the tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation. They are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. Now, there's a culture that we are trying to kick against. And the reason why teachings like this will meet with resistance several times is because when you are fighting cultures, you better be ready for resistance. It's warfare. You are trying to deal with ideologies that have survived centuries. You are trying to deal with ideology that is even on the foundation of what makes our society what it is. And we are trying to tell a generation that is not the way to think. We are trying to destroy cultures, wrong cultures. Look at it. Verse 5 now, quickly, quickly, quickly. So we use our power, our powerful God tools, for smashing wrapped philosophies. There are philosophies that are bad, but they are wrapped in good casings. We smash them to the ground. And that's what I've been saying to you. Social media is like a market. Both mad people and good people are there. You can't believe everything because it is written in a quotable quote. You can't. The fact that it is a quote doesn't make it right. We just believe anything that is branded. Remove the brand, see what is there, the thought. What are they projecting? If I think like this, who will I be? If I conclude like this, what will I be? Will my home ever know peace if I conclude like this? There are people who are saying what is nice until they say something funny. You must know how to spot it. We use our powerful God tools for smashing wrapped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God. So there are barriers, there are barricades, things that, you know, you have allowed it so somehow. Or sometimes they are even being erected without your consciousness. You only grew to know this the way you think. But the question is, is that the way to think? Is that right? If I continue like this, what kind of father will I be? What kind of mother will I be? What kind of husband will I be? What kind of wife will I be? Imagine being married and everybody has concluded, let me, let me do my things. Because I don't know what will happen tomorrow. Let me build my own house and hide it from my spouse. Let me, let me buy this and let me keep that business running. We don't know what will happen. It means you have concluded that that home has no future. You have concluded. And never you say that people have to do that because of who they married. Let me tell you, if somebody offends you and you slap the person, the fellow did not trigger you. The fellow only brought out what you are. Now you're quiet. Those who are not married, now that you have the chance, we are saying listen to the person you want to marry. That time is gone, doesn't mean you should waste the rest. Hear this person. Huh? That there's no time. Let's don't see. Don't say I didn't warn you. Hear the person. Hear, hear. Let the person talk. Fine people can say rubbish. Fine people can say rubbish. Say, wait till they smell, now they talk. They smell. Hear what this person is saying. Hear the way the person is thinking. Check the person's comment on social media. I think I saw something that happened later. I found out it was a joke, but it could be true. They were asking a guy that your house is burning, you have so, so, so $20 million, your wife, and something in your house. Which one will you pick? Pick the $20 million and the remaining $700 under the bed. You know, actually it was a joke, okay? But I was afraid that what if this is not a joke? And, um, you know, say— I say, how about your wife? Say, no, no, with $20 million I can marry a wife in every city. No, no, no, you won't marry, you won't marry. You are going to marry a fool. The time that is wasted, you now waste the remaining part. And who told you that your time as a single while waiting is a wasted time? It's an opportunity. If you gather many, many married people, scarcely will you find a 10% who don't wish to have the opportunity to be single again. No rush yourself. Praise God. When people are in love Nobody is as deaf as the person who is in love. Nobody is as blind as the person with— they have seen it, they are seeing it, they have seen it. They say, actually, no, no, no, no, no, no, you see, um, it's just about that moment. He's different, she's— okay, amazing.

Amazing.

Roll your sleeves because you walk. Ah yes, I guarantee you, I guarantee you. Don't judge people based on their backgrounds, but at the same time, don't ignore red flags. There are two different things. Ah, you— I am saying, see, now, now Now things have changed. What will solve all the matter is not sitting down over a fine lunch and saying, tell me more about yourself. No, no, no, no. What will solve the matter now is to go to the person's Twitter handle, go to the Instagram, go to the Facebook, look at the— that's where you see the genuine person. That's where you answer the question, is he a fool or is wise? Forget about this one, you are speaking over porridge. What, what do you mean? Having taken all this time to invest in yourself, that little time you have to wait, please use it well so that the investment is not a waste. Is that okay? Now use that time well. So check the conclusions you have made because of your experience and pull down those strongholds So he said, um, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. There is a structure of life shaped by who? Christ. Shaped by Christ. We fit loose thoughts. You catch yourself thinking some way, you adjust, you correct it. You balance yourself again. I will not think like this. Are you following what I'm saying? Listen, if you know you have battles fighting, is that time you stop listening to that friend who is always fighting the wife or always fighting the husband? Because you know me too, I'm fighting my battle. I am not the best to counsel you. This counseling is beginning to affect my mind too. Two people in prison can't free themselves. So let me be fine. Please go and speak to that other person, he's our friend. He seems to be more mature and things aha. But for now, even me, my head needs to be correct. Very important. Number 3, eat the word. I'm not saying riddle, eat, eat the word. You cannot desire to solve a problem while ignoring the formula. The formula for godly living is to live by the word. This society, this generation is trying to fit in our opinion side by side with the word. Where the word is, your opinion doesn't matter. The word of God takes supremacy. And I'm sorry to say, many so-called relationship and family life platforms, they are just teaching opinions, self-preservation. There is the word, the word. The fact that the person has a name doesn't mean the person is correct. If what I'm saying is not according to the word, trash it. Pay attention to the word. Eat it. Fight with the word. Fight with the word. Fight with the word. It's called the good fight of faith. Fight with the word. You see, you don't just know the word of God for knowing's sake. You know it to walk with it. What did I say? You know it to walk with it. Now let me show you something. 1 Timothy 6:12, Message Translation. 1 Timothy 6:12, Message Translation. 1 Timothy 6:12. Waiting for them to Bring it on. Message translation. If you're there, say amen. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many. So there's the place of running hard Huh? The King James says, fight the good fight of faith. You are running hard with the word. You are running hard. Now, in intercession— and that's where I come from— there's a place of praying for people whose ideology doesn't agree what you are saying. And we bring intercession from the standpoint of the word. We are shifting your ideas to the balance of the word. You will no longer think the way you are thinking. How many people who complain about their spouse really pray for their spouse? Let's be honest now. Let's be honest. Let's be honest. How many people go to the place of prayer and say, for the next 7 days I'm going to go 6 to 6 because there is this thing that can be adjusted Where is the place of raising people who fight on their knees? Where is the place of praying fathers and praying mothers? Where is the place of praying husband and praying wife? Is that old-fashioned? Just the moment you feel a threat, the next thing you have called a friend. You don't even mind if it's an ex or an opposite sex. Where is the place of praying and say, Lord, I pray for my wife, She understands this thing. I need her to come into this reality, open her eyes. Lord, I know you can help me. Where is the place of prayer? How come many of those who are talking about families no longer mention prayer? Is it old-fashioned? We're just trying to use our senses. Senses— the senses that has produced a broken generation. Is the same thing you want to employ. We pray, we cast down strongholds, we bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. We pray. You know the problem? Two people who are not praying want the result of those who are praying. Two people who are not reading the word want the result of those who are reading the word. The man who is not leading by example wants the result of the man leading by example. The woman who is insubordinate wants the result of the one who is subordinate. Say, look at the way he loves his wife. He say, look at the way the wife respect him. You cannot demand for privileges without sacrifice. You must have a contribution. Life functions by the principle of cause and effect. Cause and effect. Fight, fight with the word. Sometimes the first person to start fighting is yourself. This is not who I am. I am not a bitter person. I am not insecure. I am not insecure. No, no, I'm not a woman beater. I am not a contentious woman. You know a contentious woman? The Bible said it is better to live in the corner of a house than to stay with a— a contentious woman will fight with herself when there's nobody to fight. Always carrying the atmosphere of anger, pain, bitterness. Nobody can come and greet them and be happy successfully. There's no air of graciousness. And there are contentious men too. They are lion of the tribe of their homes. Anywhere they enter, there's panic. I am not like this. I am loving. I am kind. Let me give you 2 minutes. Let somebody still on the keyboard for me. Let's pull down some things here. First, pray about yourself. This is who I am in Christ. Pray about that character. You know you were not born like that, you were not designed like that. Come on, pray, pray, pray. What are the things that has been done that's caused problems? No, this is not who I am. No, no. Every wrong and negative differences that seems to be coming up, everything I'm manifesting that has the capacity to set my home on fire, I reject it. I am not given to lust, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life. I am not ruled by ego. No, the Spirit of Christ that work in me, I am faithful, I am wise, I am kind, I love as Christ loves. You are not praying the way you should pray. You are trying to establish things here. You are trying to dismantle argument here. Pray! Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. That thing that always make you conclude and hoping that a day will come that your spouse will no longer be there, you will have another opportunity to repeat. That thing will not give you access to do the work you should do. There are many people in many homes who are hoping that their spouse will die so they can be free, and they don't know how they got there. Bring that thing into captivity now. Imagine Christ waiting for you as his bride to die and wanting you to die. We bring into captivity every thought that is not conforming to the thought of Christ. We bring it into subjection in the name of Jesus. Femi Lazarus. We bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, in the name of Jesus. Thank you, blessed Father. It is done in Jesus' mighty name.

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